Task Changing Apparatus, Task Changing Method, and Task Changing Program

1. A task changing apparatus that changes a task program executed by a robot, comprising: a storage unit that stores a task program including a plurality of hierarchical levels arranged in a tree-like structure representing a plurality of pieces of task information executed by the robot and lower-order task information associated with the task information; a display control unit that causes the task information to be displayed on a display screen of a display unit so as to allow setting of the task information, the task information being associated with each other for each hierarchical level of the task program stored in the storage unit; and a change unit that changes the task program for the robot based on a series of pieces of task information set on the display screen of the display unit, wherein: the task program stored in the storage unit configures the task information in the plurality of hierarchical levels, the task information including a plurality of task methods associated with each other in each hierarchical level indicating a task content of the robot, a higher-order task in the task program being recursively deployed and defined into a plurality of lower-order tasks, upon determining that the robot performs a preset task and is in an unworkable state during the process of an operation thereof, the display control unit causes message information for notifying the unworkable state to be displayed on the display screen of the display unit, and causes the task information to be displayed on the display screen of the display unit so as to allow setting of the task information, the task information being associated with each other for each hierarchical level of the task program, and the display control unit performs at least one of: (A) on the display screen of the display unit, displaying the plurality of task methods side by side in a selectable manner in order to change the task method to a different task method, and (B) on the display screen of the display unit displaying the plurality of task methods, displaying, when one of the displayed task methods is selected, a variable list for changing a variable associated with the selected task method, and displaying, when one of the variables in the variable list is selected, a change menu for changing the selected variable.

2. The task changing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit causes the task information and the task method included in the task information to be displayed side by side on the display screen of the display unit so as to allow selection of the task information and the task method.

3. The task changing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the display unit displays, on the display screen, the task information and upper and lower transition buttons that cause a display to transit upward and downward, respectively, and when the upper transition button is selected, the display control unit causes task information of a higher hierarchical level in the task program than the task information displayed on the display screen of the display unit, to be displayed on the display screen of the display unit, and when the lower transition button is selected, the display control unit causes task information of a lower hierarchical level in the task program than the task information displayed on the display screen of the display unit, to be displayed on the display screen of the display unit.

4. The task changing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when a predetermined manipulation is performed on a task method displayed on the display screen of the display unit, the display control unit causes a change menu to be displayed on the display screen of the display unit, the change menu being set to change a variable for the task information.

5. The task changing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the display control unit causes a storage menu to be displayed on the display screen of the display unit, the storage menu being set to select whether or not the task method and/or the variable changed on the display screen of the display unit is stored into the storage unit.

6. The task changing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when a predetermined manipulation is performed on the task information displayed on the display screen of the display unit, the display control unit causes an edit menu to be displayed on the display screen of the display unit, the edit menu being set to edit an icon associated with the task information.

7. The task changing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the edit menu includes at least one of duplication, sorting, renaming, and deletion of the icon associated with the task information.

8. A task changing method for changing a task program executed by a robot, the task changing method comprising: storing a task program including a plurality of hierarchical levels arranged in a tree-like structure representing a plurality of pieces of task information executed by the robot and lower-order task information associated with the task information; causing the task information to be displayed on a display screen so as to allow setting of the task information, the task information being associated with each other for each hierarchical level of the task program; changing the task program for the robot based on a series of pieces of task information set on the display screen; configuring the task information in the plurality of hierarchical levels, the task information including a plurality of task methods associated with each other in each hierarchical level indicating a task content of the robot, a higher-order task in the task program being recursively deployed and defined into a plurality of lower-order tasks; upon determining that the robot performs a preset task and is in an unworkable state during the process of an operation thereof, causing message information for notifying the unworkable state to be displayed on the display screen, and causing the task information to be displayed on the display screen so as to allow setting of the task information, the task information being associated with each other for each hierarchical level of the task program, and performing at least one of: (A) on the display screen, displaying the plurality of task methods side by side in a selectable manner in order to change the task method to a different task method, and (B) on the display screen displaying the plurality of task methods, displaying, when one of the displayed task methods is selected, a variable list for changing a variable associated with the selected task method, and displaying, when one of the variables in the variable list is selected, a change menu for changing the selected variable.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a task changing program for causing a computer to execute processing including: causing task information to be displayed on a display screen so as to allow setting of the task information, the task information being associated with each other for each hierarchical level of a task program, the task program including a plurality of hierarchical levels arranged in a tree-like structure representing a plurality of pieces of task information executed by a robot and lower-order task information associated with the task information; changing the task program for the robot based on a series of pieces of task information set on the display screen; configuring the task information in the plurality of hierarchical levels, the task information including a plurality of task methods associated with each other in each hierarchical level indicating a task content of the robot, a higher-order task in the task program being recursively deployed and defined into a plurality of lower-order tasks; upon determining that the robot performs a preset task and is in an unworkable state during the process of an operation thereof, causing message information for notifying the unworkable state to be displayed on the display screen, and causing the task information to be displayed on the display screen so as to allow setting of the task information, the task information being associated with each other for each hierarchical level of the task program, and performing at least one of: (A) on the display screen, displaying the plurality of task methods side by side in a selectable manner in order to change the task method to a different task method, and (B) on the display screen displaying the plurality of task methods, displaying, when one of the displayed task methods is selected, a variable list for changing a variable associated with the selected task method, and displaying, when one of the variables in the variable list is selected, a change menu for changing the selected variable.